In a Mad World Only the Mad Are Sane
by sofia313
Summary: Before becoming Harley Quinn, Harleen Quinzel gave birth to a daughter, Maisie. Now when Harley's in Belle Reve, it's up to the Joker to look after his stepdaughter.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Belle Reve

 _"Hush, little baby, don't say a word, mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird don't sing, mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns brass, mama's gonna buy you a looking glass…"_

Harley was sitting on the floor, her legs curled up against her chest. She smiled and kept humming and rocking herself. Despite of all the meds, abuse and electric shocks, the nasty voices in her head refused to leave her alone.

 _"Harls… Mommy… Harleen! Look at yourself! No child deserves a mother like you… Strawberry, vanilla or chocolate… It's time to have some fun…"_

Mentally unstable. Dangerous. Psychotic. Loony. Yes, she was all of those things and more, but her madness didn't really bother her. She had got used to it. This was who she was. She was freer than most people could even dream of. She didn't have to pretend anything to anyone. Not anymore. That was the beauty of insanity. She leaned back and giggled.

The cage… To her it was even worse than the electric shocks. Being locked up… Of course she didn't let anyone, especially Griggs, to see it. She had no idea how long she had been here. Days? Weeks? Months? All she knew was that her Puddin' would find her and get her out of here. No matter what it would take. She knew that he would never give up.

 _"Harls…"_

Harley closed her eyes.

 _"You and me, sweetness…"_

She smiled. Her Puddin' loved her just the way she was. So did her daughter. Her little poppet. Harley had never planned to get pregnant in the middle of her studies, but giving birth to Maisie was something she had never regretted. Not that she had ever been a perfect mother, far from it, but she loved her daughter and her Puddin'. Despite of what some people thought, she was capable of feeling love. She would have died for her loved ones. She would have killed for them. For her family.

 _"Mommy…"_

She laughed when she thought about her Puddin's first meeting with Maisie. He had been somewhat jealous at first, he hadn't wanted to share Harley's love, but he had learned to accept Maisie. He was good to her. Harley knew that her daughter was safe with him.


	2. Someone special

**Thank you for all the feedback :) I apologize in advance if the characters are OOC, I have to admit that I haven't read the comics or seen the animated series, so in this story the characters are based only on Suicide Squad.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **Someone special**

 _15 months earlier_

 _Maisie sat on a big armchair and stared in front of her with a blank expression. The smiling woman, who was sitting opposite her, kept talking and talking._

 _"Maisie? Do you think you could say something to me, sweetheart? Anything?"_

 _No, Maisie didn't want to say anything to her or to anyone else. All she wanted was to see her mommy. She had said that to the policemen who had took her from her home and to the social service people. They had said that she wouldn't see her mommy again. No one had explained to her why. She had been moved from one place to another, she hadn't stayed anywhere for long._

 ** _"That's her kid?"_**

 ** _"Poor child…"_**

 ** _"Her grandparents don't want her…"_**

 ** _"There are no other relatives…"_**

 ** _"No foster home will take her…"_**

 ** _"She refuses to eat…"_**

 ** _"She bit me!"_**

 ** _"Come on, sweetie, you have to eat…"_**

 ** _"Let the brat starve… What? She's her kid…"_**

 _"Maisie? You need to talk and especially eat."_

 _Maisie didn't show in any way that she would have heard the woman's words. The woman sighed and leaned back on her seat._

 _"Alright, you don't leave me much choice…."_

 _A knock on the door interrupted her. She frowned and stood up._

 _"I have a patient…" she started while opening the door._

 _Maisie looked up as the woman gasped and backed away. For a moment Maisie was sure that she was dreaming, just like she had many times before. Her mommy was standing in the doorway. She looked different but she was still her mommy. Maisie's face brightened, she jumped to the floor as quickly as she could._

 _"Mommy!"_

 _"Babydoll!"_

 _Maisie ran over to the door and laughed as her mommy scooped her up and spun her around._

 _"I've missed you, mommy," she murmured and wrapped her arms tightly around her mother's neck._

 _"I've missed you too, babydoll," she replied and kissed Maisie's cheek with her red lips._

 _Maisie raised her head and looked at her mother's face._

 _"You look different."_

 _She smiled and touched Maisie's nose._

 _"Yeah?"_

 _Maisie nodded._

 _"You're pretty."_

 _Her mother giggled and kissed her cheek again._

 _"Thank you, babydoll. Let's go home. There's someone very special I want you to meet."_

* * *

Maisie couldn't sleep. She stared at the ceiling and hummed quietly. She missed her mommy. Daddy J missed her too, Maisie knew that. It had been 3 days since he had come home without mommy and Maisie didn't think that he had slept ever since. Everyone was afraid to go near him and Uncle Jonny had told Masie to stay in her room.

He had said that Daddy J would find mommy, Maisie didn't have to worry about that. She had asked what had happened to her mommy, but Uncle Jonny hadn't really given her an answer. Maisie hated when grownups treated her like she would be stupid. She wasn't stupid. Mommy had always said that she was very smart. Intuitive. She understood many things.

Her mommy… She was different now, but somehow she wasn't. Grandma had used to call mommy a disappointment, nothing she had done had ever been enough. Mommy was supposed to be perfect and she had really tried to be. Sometimes Maisie had heard her crying under the shower or seen her pressing her face against the pillow. Maisie had known that something was wrong, but she hadn't known how to help her mommy.

Then everything had changed. Mommy had started to smile and laugh. She had told Maisie that she had met someone at work. Someone special. Daddy J. Maisie got up and silently headed to the door. She pushed it open and listened, but she couldn't hear anything. None of her "uncles" seemed to be here. She stepped out into the hallway and headed to the bedroom her mommy shared with Daddy J.

She knocked before opening the door. The whole room was a terrible mess, all the furniture had been destroyed and there was writing all over the walls. Daddy J was lying on his back in the middle of the floor, there were knives and guns all around him. He was laughing, but it wasn't a happy laugh. Most people would have been too scared to approach him when he was like this. Maisie wasn't.

"Daddy J?"

"Gone…" he murmured and burst into laughter. "Gone, gone, gone, gone… Wings…My dove needs wings…"

Carefully Maisie stepped over the knives and sat down on the floor.

"Daddy J?"

Slowly he looked at her and smiled. His smile was scary, but it didn't scare Masie.

"Teensy!"

She smiled too and moved a little closer.

"I can't sleep, Daddy J."

"Sleep…" he hummed and burst into laughter again. "There won't be any sleep, teensy. Not before she's home."

He turned his eyes towards the ceiling and spread his arms. Silently Maisie curled up against him. It didn't matter that they were lying on the floor; she used his arm as a pillow.

"Please find her," she murmured.

"I will."

She sighed and closed her eyes. He needed to sleep as well, so she hummed him the same lullaby her mommy always hummed her. It helped; she felt him relaxing and finally falling asleep. Maisie knew that her mommy would want her to look after Daddy J while she was gone and she was going to try her best to do that.


	3. We

**Chapter 2**

 **We**

 _15 months earlier_

 _"The room is ready, boss," Jonny Frost said. "We got everything Miss Quinn wanted."_

 _He was very careful to keep his tone of voice neutral, he knew better than to make any foolish comments, especially about Harley._

 _Joker waved his hand carelessly, he wasn't pleased at all._

 _A child._

 _A miniature human._

 _An inconvenience._

 _A third wheel._

 _Unfortunately Harley had insisted of finding the little nuisance. She loved the kid. The thought didn't sit well with the Joker. If there was something he couldn't stand, it was competition. Harley belonged to him. Only to him. She was truly his match. His queen. Everything would be perfect without the brat._

 _Sadly Harley had made it clear that her kid came with the package. He wouldn't have one without taking the other as well. So yes, he had helped Harley to find the kid. The authorities had tried to keep her hidden, but of course the Joker had enough connections to find out her whereabouts. Harley and few of the Joker's henchmen were picking her up now._

 _A child… Here. Harley had even insisted of decorating a room for her. There was a freaking nursery in his lair. Pink walls, floral print curtains and bedcover, fluffy cushions, plush toys, butterflies, dolls, storybooks… The whole room was just…hideous. He glanced at it briefly and huffed in annoyance. He had actually had a nightmare like this once. If only this would be just a nightmare as well…_

 _"Puddin'!" Harley's voice called. "We're home!"_

 _We… The Joker already hated how that sounded like. The only "we" he wanted was Harley and the voices in her head. She was so beautifully deranged. Just like him. His masterpiece. They were perfect together. The two of them._

 _"Puddin'?"_

 _He sneered as he saw the kid. She was very…short. Harley hadn't mentioned how old she was and the Joker had absolutely no knowledge of children, he couldn't estimate her age. Not that he even cared. Harley was holding the runt's hand._

 _"Puddin', this is my babydoll."_

 _Harley's tone of voice was proud. Loving. That irritated the Joker even more. The kid was staring at him intently with her green eyes._

 _"Is she housebroken?" the Joker huffed, earning a glare from Harley._

 _"Puddin'!"_

 _"What? I told you, Harls, I don't know anything about kids."_

 _He would have preferred to keep things like that. He didn't **want** to know anything about kids._

 _"She's 5," Harley snapped._

 _The Joker rolled his eyes._

 _"Is that a yes or no?"_

 _"Yes, she can use the bathroom."_

 _Well hoo freaking ray. The girl was still staring at him. He gave her a wide smirk, letting her see his teeth. Her eyes widened, but she didn't look scared. She looked curious. That was just…annoying. The worst part was when she smiled at him. This really was a nightmare._

* * *

 _"Stupid Batsy, ruining date night… Puddin'! I can't swim!"_

The Joker's eyes flew open. Harley. Where was she? The room was dark, but he heard her voice. It was calling him over and over again. Where was she?

 _"Puddin'…"_

"Harls?"

He was lying on the floor. Harley wasn't here, but he felt someone beside him. Someone small. He heard quiet sniffling and turned his head. Teensy. Her head was resting on his arm; she had nestled against him. He didn't move, he concentrated on listening the sound of her breathing. For some reason it calmed him. The voices weren't so loud anymore.

That was strange. Only Harley had managed to silence the voices. It brought out the worst of him when she wasn't around. He had been at his very worst for the last three days. He hadn't slept or eaten. Somehow teensy had helped him to sleep. He was able to think again. Harley… Where was she? Where had they taken her? Was she alright? If they had hurt her… The thought was driving him crazy. Well, crazier.

Teensy sighed in her sleep and shivered. She was probably cold. Slowly he rolled her on her back and stood up. Sleeping on the floor had certainly been uncomfortable. He had destroyed the bed with his bare hands, just like everything else in the room. Everything made him think about Harley.

He looked down at the girl. Harley's child. Right now he was all she had. There was no doubt that Harley wanted him to look after her. He leaned down and carefully picked her up in his arms. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and snuggled her head against his chest in her sleep. She trusted him. She felt safe with him. That was just…insane. He was the last person anyone had ever felt safe with. Children, as well as adults, were afraid of him. As they should be.

He was a monster.

A killer.

A psychopath.

A lunatic.

He carried her to her room and gently laid her down on the bed.

"Daddy J…" she murmured sleepily as he tucked her in.

"Go back to sleep, teensy."

She sighed and drifted into sleep again. He stood next to the bed and simply observed her face. For the first time he saw clearly how much she looked like her mother. She needed Harley, just as much as he did.

"Don't you worry, teensy," he murmured. "I'll find her. No matter what it takes."


	4. Straight flush

**Chapter 3**

 **Straight flush**

Maisie ran her fingers carefully over a framed picture. It was her favorite, a picture of her, mommy and Daddy J in an amusement park. It had been taken on her 6th birthday. There hadn't been anyone else in the amusement park, just the people who worked there. They had all smiled widely (while nervously glancing at mommy and Daddy J) and they had been very kind to Maisie; they had given her popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream, plush toys, balloons, everything she had wanted.

Mommy had ridden the carousel with her at least 20 times and Daddy J had let her sit on his lap as they had ridden the rollercoaster. All three of them had ridden the Ferris wheel, the pirate ship, the caterpillar train, bumper cars and teacups together. It had been one of the happiest days of Maisie's life.

She looked at the picture and gently touched mommy's face. A tear rolled down her cheek. She missed her mommy so much. Daddy J was taking care of some things, he hadn't been sure if he would be home tonight. Three of Maisie's newish uncles, Uncle Dom, Uncle Nicky and Uncle Rob were keeping her company. She didn't really want to be alone in her room, so she dried her eyes and went to see what her uncles were doing. They were in the living room, playing cards.

"So then I went and wasted…" Uncle Nicky was just saying, but he paused when he noticed Maisie standing in the doorway. "… I mean hugged that guy."

Uncle Dom and Uncle Rob frowned.

"What?"

Uncle Nicky cocked his head towards the door.

"Oh, hi there, cutie pie," Uncle Rob said and gave Maisie a charming smile. He was the youngest one of them; the others called him the Pretty-Boy-Rob. He really was pretty; he had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. Uncle Nicky wasn't so pretty; he was a tall man who had short black hair, dark eyes and a big burn mark on his face. He was called Nicky the Butcher. Maisie really couldn't understand why, he didn't work in a butcher shop. Uncle Dom was bald, he had big muscles and many tattoos. Maisie smiled at them.

"Hi. What are you playing?"

"Poker," Uncle Nicky replied.

"Uh huh. Can I play too?"

They all hesitated for a moment before Uncle Rob spoke.

"Well, sweetie, this is kind of a grownups game," he said smiling. "I'm afraid it might be too complicated for you."

"I can play it," Maisie assured.

She really could, one of her uncles, Uncle Sweet-Joe, had taught her. For some reason none of her other uncles wanted to play with him.

Uncle Nicky, Uncle Dom and Uncle Rob hesitated again before nodding.

"Okay then…"

Maisie was delighted, her smile grew even wider.

"I'll be right back," she said and hurried to her room. She needed bets. Thankfully she had some bubblegum, stickers and cookies in her drawer. Just in case she also took her pink pirate piggy bank with her, she had stored some chocolate coins in there. Her uncles had made room for her at the table; she smiled at them as she placed her bets on the table. They all stared at her piggy bank; the corners of their mouths were twitching.

"Well…" Uncle Rob said after clearing his throat. "That's a nice piggy bank you got there."

"Thank you," Maisie replied. She noticed that their bets were money. With Uncle Joe she had always used candy or cookies as bets. "I'm sorry; I don't have any money…"

"Oh, don't worry about that, sweetie," Uncle Rob said. "Your bets are just fine. Aren't they, boys?"

"Yeah," Uncle Nicky confirmed. "I've always wanted a piggy bank like that."

"There's chocolate inside," Maisie said proudly.

"Oh yeah?" Uncle Dom said. "That chocolate is mine."

"Let's play," Uncle Nicky announced. "Okay, cupcake, these here are cards…"

"I know how to play poker," Maisie cut in. She had already told them that.

"Okay then."

Uncle Nicky was the dealer; Maisie picked up her cards and observed them intently. All her uncles seemed amused.

"Do you need some help, sweetie?" Uncle Rob asked.

"No, thank you."

She concentrated on the cards, just like Uncle Joe had taught.

"I'll raise."

Her uncles burst into laughter as she pushed the cookies next to the piggy bank.

"Aren't you cute," Uncle Dom chuckled.

Again Maisie concentrated on the cards. She raised again as she received more cards. And again. Her uncles seemed to be having a good time, they kept laughing. Everyone was still in when it was time to show what they got.

"One pair," Uncle Nicky said.

Uncle Dom grinned at him.

"Two pairs."

"Oh, look at this and weep," Uncle Rob said. "Full house."

They all looked at Maisie.

"Okay, sweetie, what kind of numbers or pictures do you have in your cards?" Uncle Rob asked.

Maisie smiled and placed her cards on the table.

"Straight flush."

They weren't laughing anymore as they stared at her cards.

"That means I won, right?"

"Yeah…" Uncle Rob murmured and pushed all the bets towards her.

"No, no," Maisie protested. "I don't want to take your money, I just wanted to play."

"Take the money, cupcake," Uncle Nicky said. "We want you to take it. But maybe you could do a small favor for us?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

Uncle Nicky cleared his throat.

"Do you think we could keep this whole thing as our secret?"

Maisie was confused, but she nodded.

"Sure."

"Great. Here are your winnings."

Maisie looked at the money in wonder. This was really her money. She could buy so much candy… But what she really wanted was to buy something for mommy. And for Daddy J. Something special that would make him happy. The idea made her smile. She wanted to go to a store right now.

"Could you take me to a store?" she asked.

"It's kind of late, sweetie," Uncle Rob replied. "Isn't it your bedtime already?"

Maisie shook her head.

"I don't have a bedtime. Please can we go? I'll buy you ice cream."

Uncle Rob smiled.

"Alright, cutie pie, we'll go."

"Thank you!" Maisie cheered and quickly picked up her winnings. "I'll go and get a sweater."

"If anyone hears that we lost to a 6-years-old…" Uncle Dom murmured as Maisie ran to the door. She noticed that it was already dark outside. Many people considered Gotham City a dangerous place after dark, but Maisie was too excited to even think about that. She wanted to buy something special for mommy and Daddy J. She was sure that mommy would be home soon, Daddy J had promised that she would be. Everything would be back to normal.


	5. Little ladybug

**Warning, some violence and foul language**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 **Little ladybug**

Maisie was very excited as she walked around the small convenience store with her basket. This was the first time when she was shopping "all by herself". She had put all her money in her little ladybug purse, carrying it made her feel like a grownup. She loved her purse; it was a gift from mommy and Daddy J.

Maisie had seen a picture of it in a magazine and told mommy how much she liked it. Mommy and Daddy J had gone out that night, it had been their date night, and when Maisie had woken up in the next morning, the purse had been on her nightstand. Now she wanted to buy something nice for them. And she also needed to buy ice cream for her uncles, as she had promised.

Uncle Dom and Uncle Rob were standing in front of the counter, drinking coffee. Uncle Nicky had stayed home, he have had some things to do. The young man behind the counter looked tired; he was chewing gum and glancing at some magazine. It was late, so there weren't any other customers in the store.

"How're you doing there, cutie pie?" Uncle Rob asked after Maisie had looked around for a moment.

"Good!" she replied from between the shelves.

"Okay then. Let us know if you need some help."

"Okay, thank you."

Maisie stopped when she saw plush toys. Teddy bears wearing sweaters. One of them had a blue sweater with the text "Best Dad" printed on the front. She really wanted to give it to Daddy J, but she wasn't sure if he would like it. After a moment of consideration, she picked the bear up and put it in her basket. Maybe he would agree to take it if she would also give him something else. Like a brand new knife or maybe a lighter.

Mommy would probably like a knife as well. And maybe a necklace. Or sunglasses. And some chocolate. Maisie was also planning to buy chocolate for herself. And a coloring book. She tilted her head as she noticed big heart shaped lollipops with the text "I Love You". She would buy one for mommy. Just in case she took two, even though she didn't think that Daddy J would want a lollipop.

Hopefully he would accept the bear; Maisie thought that it was perfect for him. He was the only daddy she had ever had and she wanted him to know how important he was to her. But if he wouldn't want the bear, she would buy him something else. She was rich now. It didn't take long before her basket was almost full, now she just needed the ice cream… She yelped in pain as she was suddenly grabbed from behind and roughly picked up. The scare made her drop her basket and her purse; she had been too occupied to notice anyone approaching her.

"Nobody fucking move!" a male voice shouted. Strong arms were holding Maisie too tightly; she felt something cold being pressed against her head.

"Give me all the money or I'll blow the kid's head off!"

No more than a second later Uncle Rob and Uncle Dom were aiming at Maisie's capturer with their guns.

"You don't want to do this," Uncle Rob said tensely. "Trust me."

"Drop your fucking guns!" the man shouted. "You think I won't shoot her?! You think I'm joking?!"

Maisie whimpered as he tightened his grip even more. She was terrified.

"Do you have any idea whose kid that is?" Uncle Rob asked coldly. "Harley Quinn's. And guess who her stepdad is? That's right, the Joker. I'm sure you've at least heard of him."

Maisie felt the man tensing as he gasped.

"What?" he snapped. "You…you're fucking lying!"

Uncle Rob shook his head.

"Nope. Let her go right now or you'll be very, _very_ sorry."

The man's hands were shaking a little; he stared at Maisie's uncles. He started to understand that they were serious.

"Fuck…" he murmured. "Fuck!"

Maisie flinched; her eyes were filling with tears.

"Sir? You…you can have my money," she said in a small voice. "I-I… I have money. In my purse. An-and I have chocolate…"

"Shut the fuck up!" the man shouted, making Maisie to let out a sob. "Fuck… The kid's coming with me, if you so much as move a muscle, she's dead."

"Be smart and think about this," Uncle Rob warned. "You don't want to sign your own death sentence, do you?"

The man burst into a hysterical laughter.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! You'll shoot me the moment I let her go! No, she's coming with me. I'll let her go when I'm safe."

"I wouldn't…" Uncle Rob started.

"Shut up!" the man snapped and pressed his gun harder against Maisie's head. "You want me to shoot her?! Do you?!"

Maisie cried out in pain and fear, she had never been so scared in her life.

"Okay, okay," Uncle Rob said quickly and raised his hands in surrender. Uncle Dom followed his example, he looked very angry. "Come on, there's no need to hurt her, she's just a kid."

"Stay back!" the man shouted and backed away towards the entrance.

Maisie was sobbing and trembling.

"Mommy…"

"I told you to shut the fuck up!"

His shouting made her cry harder, she couldn't stop herself. She just wanted to go home and felt mommy's arms around her. She wanted to hide under her bed and stay there. She wanted Daddy J to pick her up and told her that everything was fine. The man carried her outside; she felt the cold night air on her face.

"Now keep your mouth shut and…" the man started when something suddenly made him to let go of Maisie. She cried out as she fell on the ground. The man fell down beside her, he was unconscious. Slowly Maisie looked up and saw a dark figure.

"Are you alright, child?" a male voice asked.

She stared at him, unable to speak. She knew who he was, she had heard of him. Batman.


	6. Daddy

**Chapter 5**

 **Daddy**

"Are you alright, child?"

Bruce Wayne looked at the little girl on the ground, she was staring at him. She didn't seem to be injured.

"Child?" he said and took a step towards her.

She didn't seem to be afraid of him, probably because she was in shock. Her green eyes stared at him intently. There was something very familiar about her, he was almost sure that he had seen her before. But where…?

"It's alright…" he started, but he didn't have time to continue when someone came out of the store. It was a young man, probably in his mid twenties. He was wearing a dark suit.

"Sweetheart!" he cried out as he ran towards the girl. "Hold on, daddy's coming!"

The girl was still staring at Bruce when the man reached her and scooped her up.

"Oh, my poor little girl," the man murmured and wrapped his arms tightly around the girl. "It's okay, daddy's here now." He paused and looked at Bruce. "Thank you so much for saving my daughter."

"Your daughter?"

"Yes, she's my daughter."

He stroked the girl's hair while he spoke, she had leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Shouldn't she be in bed in this hour?" Bruce stated.

"Yeah, she should, I…"

The sound of the approaching sirens caught Bruce's attention; he turned to look at the scum lying on the asphalt. A very pale young man, probably the cashier, was just coming out of the store. Obviously he was in shock.

"Does your daughter need…" Bruce started while turning to look at the young father. He and the girl were gone.

"Oh God…" the cashier murmured. "I don't want to die… I don't want to die…"

"It's alright," Bruce said while stepping in front of the shaking young man. "It's over now."

The young man burst into tears.

"No, it's not. The kid… Is she…"

"She's fine," Bruce replied. "Do you know her?"

"No…" the cashier murmured. "No… She's Harley Quinn's kid."

Bruce's eyes widened. Of course she had looked familiar; he had seen a picture of her after Harley had kidnapped her. Quickly he went to look for the girl and her "father" but there was no sight of them. Damn it… Poor girl. Who knew what she had been through with her mother and the Joker? And now she was alone with the Joker. No child should have ever experienced such horror.

* * *

"They're almost here, boss," Nicky said.

The Joker didn't reply to that, he was sitting on the armchair staring in front of him. Harley… He remembered one time when they had been lying in bed after a very entertaining night in town. Her head had been on his chest and his fingers had played with her hair.

 _"Puddin'?"_

 _"Hmm?"_

 _"Would you do something for me?"_

 _"Anything."_

 _She had lifted her head and looked at him._

 _"Will you be my babydoll's daddy?"_

 _The Joker had frowned._

 _"Harls…"_

 _"She loves you, Puddin'. Will you take care of her if I can't?"_

Take care of what Harley held most dear… The Joker hadn't ever taken care of anything. He wasn't capable of that, but he had tried with teensy. Someone had dared to hurt her. Big mistake. He stood up when he heard the door opening. Rob was carrying teensy in his arms; she had wrapped her arms around his neck. The Joker walked over to them without saying a word.

"She's not injured, boss," Rob murmured. "Just upset…"

"Give her to me," the Joker cut in.

Rob obeyed as quickly as he could; very carefully he turned her around. There was no expression on her face and she was trembling.

"Come here, teensy," the Joker stated while picking her up.

"Ladybug…" she murmured.

"Here," Rob said quickly and handed the Joker a plastic bag. "Her things."

The Joker looked at Rob with a very dangerous expression.

"The one who did this…"

Rob nodded immediately.

"Yes, boss."

Rob left as quickly as he could, leaving the Joker alone with Maisie. He carried her to her room and sat down on her bed. The whole situation was completely foreign to him; he had no idea what to do.

"Teensy?" he finally stated.

"Please don't leave, Daddy J," she murmured and wrapped her arms tighter around him.

He was very uncomfortable, but he thought about Harley.

 _"Will you take care of her if I can't?"_

"It's fine, teensy. No one's going to hurt you again. I'll make sure of that."

Slowly she raised her head and looked at him.

"I…I have a gift for you."

He raised an eyebrow.

"A gift?"

She nodded and looked for the plastic bag. He gave it to her.

"I…I wanted to give this to you, but you don't have to take it if you don't want to."

Carefully she took something out of the bag. It was some sort of plush toy. A bear. Best Dad. She looked at him insecurely while handing it to him. He stared at the toy, unable to react. The hurt on teensy's face snapped him out of it; she was putting the bear back into the bag. He grabbed it before she managed to do that.

"It's fine," he stated and tapped her head.

Her lips curved into a smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He didn't move or say anything as she settled against his chest. It didn't feel bad.

 _"She loves you, Puddin'…"_

He glanced at the bear and swallowed. He would try his best. For Harley. And for teensy. He wasn't sure if his best would be enough, probably not, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone hurt his teensy again. And the fool who had dared to hurt her… After the Joker would be done with him, he would pray that he would have never been born.


End file.
